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Spring game: USD’s work begins now to change field fortunes

Mick Garry, mgarry@argusleader.com
12:02 a.m. CDT April 26, 2014

USD running back Jordan Roberts (pictured last season) will return to the Coyotes backfield. The team’s running game has more experience and more options entering next season.(Photo: Joe Ahlquist / Argus Leader)

When Joe Glenn looks back on the last two seasons game-by-game, he can point to several instances of how the potential was there for things to look a lot better right now than they do.

But make no mistake, as the Coyotes end their spring practices today at the DakotaDome with a 1 p.m. scrimmage, the coach knows that ultimately the program has lacked good football as much as it has lacked good fortune.

“It’s pretty obvious the last few years that we aren’t making the key tackle, we aren’t making the key kick return, we aren’t making the key pass at the end of close games that we need to make,” Glenn said this week. “We need more players on the field who can come up with the winning play. It’s imperative that we get some kids on the field who can make those kinds of plays in the waning moments and get you a win.”

It was a broad assignment, then, that greeted the coaching staff and the players when the series of spring practices began on March 25. The devil is eventually always going to be in the details, however, and on that count the offense is trying to get rid of a few things while at the same time adding to its arsenal.

“The first thing you want for any spring game is to come out of it healthy,” said offensive coordinator Wes Beschorner. “But eliminating the pre- and post-play penalties is a very big priority for us. (Today) we want to be able to walk off the field knowing we’re healthy and that the game of football didn’t beat us.”

That translates to “reps” during spring practice sessions. Lots of opportunities to get comfortable with the kinds of things USD will take with it into games. Glenn calls it “Establishing our DNA – getting better at the things that we’re going to do.”

Nobody has had a busier spring in terms of running plays than quarterback Kevin Earl. The soon-to-be junior replaced Josh Vander Maten as starter after four games and finished with 165 completions for more than 1,900 yards.

Vander Maten, who will continue to be a backup quarterback, made an impressive conversion to receiver last year and will be counted on to excel in that role. Outside of him though, are no other quarterbacks on the roster who have run a play in a live college game.

Ryan Saeger, a sophomore this fall, is also considered a backup candidate, though neither of the two was able to go full speed this spring because of groin injuries.

Hence the defense and the coaching staff is seeing a lot of Earl.

“He’s been the bell cow this spring,” Glenn said. “He’s getting the football into some tight spots. I don’t think I’ve ever had a quarterback who is doing what he’s doing right now.”

The Coyotes limped toward the finish at running back a year ago. Second-year freshman Trevor Bouma gained more than 700 yards but struggled with neck and shoulder issues the second half of the season. Jordan Roberts, who ran for more than 500 yards, had knee issues throughout the season’s second half.

The Coyotes will have four players in the backfield next year who promise to get significant playing time in Bouma, Roberts, Jasper Sanders (held out last year with a wrist injury) and highly regarded recruit Khorey Kilgore (redshirted).

“Physically, I think we’re going to be in a position where defenses are going to have to think twice about going into deep coverages,” Glenn said. “We want to make that a tough decision for other teams to make and we’re going to have all our tools to do that next fall.”

Defensively, much scrutiny today will be directed toward the secondary, where the Coyotes lost four starters from a year ago. The depth chart will be a work in progress into fall camp, but coaches are anxious to see how starting candidates react to today’s added intensity.

“The secondary is a big question mark, no doubt about that,” Glenn said. “We think we have some very good athletes back there, but we don’t know yet how they’re going to react when we put their hands to the flame. That’s something we’ll begin figuring out during the spring game.”